Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will report directly to the Director of Financial Aid Operations within the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (OFAS). This critical role focuses on enhancing student services and fostering student success by independently managing and developing processes and initiatives to address student financial aid eligibility criteria and related concerns. This role is an essential component of the OFAS management team, responsible for reviewing, developing, recommending, implementing, and monitoring operating policies and procedures within OFAS. Close coordination with OFAS directors, Call Center staff, and campus partners to design and implement strategies that remove barriers to accessing financial aid is a key component of this role. This position requires a deep understanding of financial aid regulations, and a proactive approach to staying current with federal and state regulatory updates to ensure the most effective student experience. The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will oversee the training, mentoring, and development of a team of financial aid counselors, ensuring they are well-prepared to provide student-focused service that supports student success. Additionally, the Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will be responsible for preparing various fiscal and statistical reports for federal, state, institutional, and external agencies.

IND208

Duties/Responsibilities

30% - Administrative and Supervisory

• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will supervise a minimum of three full-time professionals. This role involves direct collaboration with regulatory resources provided by the US Department of Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education for handling student eligibility matters within institutional policy and regulatory compliance.
• This role ensures OFAS maintains sufficient coverage at the front desk, call center chat, and walk-in financial aid advising, emphasizing a commitment to service excellence.
• The Associate Director will collaborate with the financial aid call center coordinator to ensure clear and consistent communication with prospective students, current students, and parents.
• Staying current on federal and state regulatory guidelines related to financial aid eligibility is essential. The Associate Director will work with the Director of Operations to ensure eligibility policies and procedures are up-to-date and accessible.
• This position will collaborate with OFAS leadership to develop and monitor the financial aid student services team and individual goals, including key performance indicators (KPIs), while promoting a system of accountability within the advising team and among student employees.
• The Associate Director will also support and engage in Anti-Racism efforts led by OFAS and the Enrollment Management Division.
• Additional responsibilities include working closely with Financial Aid Advisors, the Director of Operations, the Associate Director for Financial Aid Eligibility, and other financial aid leaders to proactively plan, meet deadlines, and set goals and KPIs for advisors and student employees.

30% - Provides professional financial aid advising services

The role of the Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services necessitates a comprehensive grasp of financial aid concepts, encompassing the cost of attendance, federal institutional need analysis, award packaging, types of aid offered, application processes for external scholarships, receipt of external resources, payment options, completion of loan applications, loan certification, billing, disbursement dates, aid reapplication, withdrawals, satisfactory academic progress, timelines, financial aid policies and procedures, and the obligations associated with receiving financial aid.

• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will engage with prospective students and their families, returning students, and members of the MSU Denver community, providing guidance throughout the financial aid process, eligibility assessment, need analysis, award allocation, disbursement, adherence to federal and state institutional policies, and the rights and responsibilities tied to receiving financial aid.
• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will address delicate financial and personal matters, necessitating independent judgment, tact, diplomacy, and safeguarding confidentiality. Adherence to FERPA and HEA data-sharing regulations is imperative to foster trust and ensure the security of students' information.
• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will play a critical role in guiding students through the financial aid process across multiple platforms, including in-person support, email, and phone consultations. This position will be instrumental in setting and upholding service standards, benchmarks, and key performance indicators for the Financial Aid Counselors and student employees, showcasing your leadership and measurable impact within the institution.
• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will collaborate with the Call Center, financial aid advisors, and gather feedback from students and parents to work closely with the Associate Director of Communications in developing clear, compliant, and comprehensive communication strategies regarding financial aid applications and financial aid eligibility. Additionally, they will partner with internal OFAS units to ensure staff and stakeholders are updated and trained on any changes to external or internal regulatory processes.
• The Associate Director of Financial Aid leads the Financial Aid Advisors and student employees, ensuring the delivery of high-quality service to students, families, and the MSU Denver community.

10% - Liaison to University Community

• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services will collaborate with internal MSU Denver partners, such as the Orientation, Admission, Bursar, Cashiers, Registrar, and other academic departments, and establish a strategy and content for presenting FAFSA/CASFA and financial aid packages to prospective students, parents, and continuing students.
• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services, in collaboration with the Director of Operations, will develop, maintain, and implement strategies and processes for Student Employment programs, ensuring compliance while being easily executed by the Financial Aid teams, students, hiring managers, and Human Resources, the Controller's office, the payroll office, and other campus partners.

15% - Financial Aid Eligibility determination and Appeals

• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services is an expert in need analysis and federal and institutional methodologies for awards and is skilled at explaining complex financial aid calculations in a simple and easy-to-understand manner for students and parents. This involves evaluating a family's financial capacity to cover educational expenses and scrutinizing income and assets declared on forms such as FAFSA, CASFA, federal tax returns, W-2s, and other pertinent financial records.
• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services coordinates the review procedures and convenes committee sessions for diverse appeals, including situations related to Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), special circumstances and unusual circumstances appeals. This function ensures adherence to federal regulations, expeditious appeal review, and effective communication of outcomes to students, fostering an environment conducive to student triumph.
• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services assumes responsibility for resolving students' issues by addressing FAFSA comment codes and rejections, conducting verifications and file reviews, adjusting financial aid packages, revising student budgets, rectifying over-awards, and monitoring students' achievement of satisfactory academic progress.

5% - Continued professional development

• The Associate Director of Financial Aid Student Services must actively keep up to date on state and federal regulations as well as internal policies and procedures to ensure accurate and efficient interpretation of information and to ensure program compliance. This includes ensuring continued training and monitoring of the workload for Financial Aid Advisors and student employees who staff the front counter.

5% - Reporting, Tracking and KPIs

• Associate Director is responsible for preparing various fiscal and statistical reports for federal, state, institutional, and external agencies.

5% - Other Duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• 4 years' experience working in financial aid
• Expert Knowledge of financial aid processes, guidelines, and procedures
• Proficiency with standard MS Office software applications
• Proficiency with Banner or similar financial aid software

Important Note: Successful applicants will ensure their resumes clearly demonstrate that their work experience describes how they meetALLrequired qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Supervisory experience
• Expertise in federal and institutional need analysis, experience interpreting and analyzing income and assets, and knowledge of professional judgment techniques is preferred.
• Experience resolving data integrity issues in and discrepancies within Banner is preferred.
• Supervising student employees.
• Project management and public speaking experience.

Work Hours

• Full-time, 40 hours per week, Exempt
• Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
• Evenings and Weekends: As needed
• Hybrid schedule (on-campus and remote) available for this position
• Travel: 5% travel

Salary for Announcement

We anticipate the qualified candidate to be placed between $57,600 - $72,000. The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

The above salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Instructions to Apply

For full consideration, please submit the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

3 professional references will be required of the finalist. One reference must be a prior supervisor.

This position will remain open until filled. Please apply byMay 01, 2025for consideration.

Official transcripts will be required of the candidate selected for hire.

If you are an Internal applicant, please apply via the Career tab within the WorkDay Menu

Important Note: Successful applicants will ensure their resumes clearly demonstrate that their work experience describes how they meetALLrequired qualifications.

Open Until Filled

The University's benefits package is comprehensive and offers medical, vision and dental, free RTD pass, tuition reimbursement, as well as a life and supplemental insurance plans, retirement plans and other programs, such as accessto a long-term disability (LTD) plan.Visit MSU Denver'sbenefits websiteto learn more.

For a brief overview, please see: https://www.msudenver.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MSU-Benefit-Summary.pdf.

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at totalrewards@msudenver.edu.

Background Checks

Metropolitan State University of Denver is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students, and visitors. To Assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background checks on all finalists for positions at the University prior to employment.

Metropolitan State University of Denver is a unique, access-oriented campus community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. Our student population consists of nearly 58% first generation students and over 50% students of color. We are a designated Hispanic Serving Institution located in downtown Denver.

We create an equitable learning and working environment in concert with individuals who consistently demonstrate commitment to equity and inclusion. We greatly value the diverse identities and perspectives of our students, faculty, and staff and recognize that in order to achieve a just and equitable society, diversity must go beyond simple representation. It requires critical inquiry and dialogue and a commitment to action. We strive to provide a culture of belonging for all community members to achieve personal and professional success.